+68%
Organic search impressions MoM
Organic search impressions MoM
455
Total bookings from paid channels, May 2026
Total bookings from paid channels, May 2026
24.9x
ROAS on Google Ads (industry average around 6x)
ROAS on Google Ads (industry average around 6x)
+240%
Bookings increase MoM (Google Ads)
Bookings increase MoM (Google Ads)
£19
Lowest cost per booking on Meta Ads
Lowest cost per booking on Meta Ads
Client & context
Aki London brings Kyoto craftsmanship and Tokyo energy to a Grade II-listed former bank on Cavendish Square, Marylebone. 80 covers, a late-night lounge, and one of the few UK licences to serve authentic Kobe beef. World-class product, but as a new opening, great food alone doesn’t earn Google’s trust, and empty tables don’t pay the rent. We were brought in to build a full‑funnel digital engine covering SEO, Google Ads (PPC), and Meta Ads (Social Media). The same team also manages Aki’s underground bar KIYORI, driving efficiency across both brands.
The challenge
- Low domain authority: a fresh domain struggling to rank for non‑branded terms against established giants like Nobu and Zuma
- Seasonal timing: the January post‑Christmas slump is notorious in hospitality, demanding flawless execution to maintain momentum
- Discovery friction: diners searching “authentic Kobe beef” or “best sushi Marylebone” weren’t finding Aki in the top 3 results
- Booking urgency: as a new opening, Aki needed a predictable, scalable stream of reservations from day one, not just brand awareness
- Multi‑brand complexity: two restaurant brands, three channels, one budget, requiring sharp allocation to maximise returns
Strategy & execution
A three‑channel digital engine designed to capture demand at every stage, tightly coordinated: SEO for trust and discovery, Google Ads for high‑intent bookings, and Meta Ads for visual brand conversion.
01
SEO Foundation
Their SEO strategy built trust and relevance fast by targeting niche high‑intent terms and securing editorial backlinks from Forbes (DR 94), Standard.co.uk, and Wallpaper*. A dedicated Valentine’s Day page captured early planners, and a deep‑dive Kobe beef content pillar answered premium diners’ research questions. This drove a #2 ranking for “Authentic Kobe Beef”, a #1 ranking for “St Valentine restaurant London”, and a +68% surge in organic impressions.
SEO Foundation
Their SEO strategy built trust and relevance fast by targeting niche high‑intent terms and securing editorial backlinks from Forbes (DR 94), Standard.co.uk, and Wallpaper*. A dedicated Valentine’s Day page captured early planners, and a deep‑dive Kobe beef content pillar answered premium diners’ research questions. This drove a #2 ranking for “Authentic Kobe Beef”, a #1 ranking for “St Valentine restaurant London”, and a +68% surge in organic impressions.
02
Paid Search (Google Ads)
For their PPC campaign, we faced a 49% CPC rise and responded by shifting budget to the highest‑intent campaigns (Brand & Brunch). Overall spend was increased to capture surging demand. The result: 375 bookings at £11.21 each, a 24.9 ROAS (4x the industry average), conversion costs 69% below benchmark, an 88% increase in conversions and a 240% rise in bookings month‑on‑month — with week‑on‑week improvement throughout May.
Paid Search (Google Ads)
For their PPC campaign, we faced a 49% CPC rise and responded by shifting budget to the highest‑intent campaigns (Brand & Brunch). Overall spend was increased to capture surging demand. The result: 375 bookings at £11.21 each, a 24.9 ROAS (4x the industry average), conversion costs 69% below benchmark, an 88% increase in conversions and a 240% rise in bookings month‑on‑month — with week‑on‑week improvement throughout May.
03
Paid Social (Meta Ads)
Their social media campaign on Meta used a creative‑led approach that scaled what worked. The AKI Booking campaign delivered 56 bookings at just £19 each, a quarter of the cost of its older version. Static and mixed‑content carousels outperformed polished video. With £2,811 spend, 80 bookings were generated at £35.13 blended CPA and a 1.12% click‑through rate (above benchmark). A clear winner identified and ready to scale.
Paid Social (Meta Ads)
Their social media campaign on Meta used a creative‑led approach that scaled what worked. The AKI Booking campaign delivered 56 bookings at just £19 each, a quarter of the cost of its older version. Static and mixed‑content carousels outperformed polished video. With £2,811 spend, 80 bookings were generated at £35.13 blended CPA and a 1.12% click‑through rate (above benchmark). A clear winner identified and ready to scale.
Results: the full picture
- 455 total bookings generated in May across Google Ads (375) and Meta (80), creating a predictable, scalable reservation engine from paid channels
- £7,016 total ad spend with a blended cost per booking of just £15.42
- SEO momentum: +68% organic impressions, +39% clicks (Jan→Dec), 12% of traffic now non‑branded, #1 for Valentine’s, #2 for Kobe beef
- Google Ads: 24.9 ROAS (industry avg ~6), £11.21 cost per booking, 69% lower conversion cost than industry average, and an 88% leap in conversions alongside a 240% surge in bookings compared to April
- Meta Ads: best campaign hit £19 per booking, 1.12% CTR, static creatives beat video, a clear winner to scale
Key takeaways
- Full‑funnel integration works: SEO, PPC, and paid social aren’t competing silos. They are a single growth system that filled tables from every angle.
- Agility beats rigidity: when CPCs spiked 49%, we pivoted budget to high‑intent PPC campaigns and still exceeded the booking benchmark.
- Creative matters as much as targeting: on social media, simple static carousels smashed expensive video, delivering the lowest cost per booking.
- A strong foundation unlocks bold scaling: with SEO building trust and visibility, paid channels could focus purely on conversion, not education.